As ITAR-TASS notes, in Greece, as in other EU countries, laws restricting smoking were passed long ago, but until recently no one observed or enforced them. Currently, in almost any ministry and department in Greece, in small shops and stalls, you can see people smoking. At local universities, you can even smoke during a lecture: teachers are not allowed to remove you from the classroom for it. It is not uncommon for parents to start smoking even during holidays at kindergarten.
The only places in the country where you won't see smokers are the metro and other forms of public transport: smoking there is strictly prohibited.
Local media emphasize that Greece holds a kind of record in the EU due to the lack of a smoking ban in workplaces. According to a survey, six out of ten Greeks say there are virtually no restrictions for smokers where they work.